Alcohol is high in calories. There's no denying that. Just look at how many calories Scotch has. That's why sometimes you might prefer a low-calorie cocktail, so you don't have to worry too much about your diet.
Luckily, some alcoholic beverages have fewer calories than others. So by consciously selecting your drink, you can at least keep your calorie intake at bay.
1. Skinny Bitch
kcal/1.5oz: 30
avg. serving size: 5.25oz
kcal/serving: 105
The Skinny Bitch is a top choice when it comes to low-calorie cocktails. The recipe only calls for Vodka mixed with soda and a splash of lime juice.
You will have a hard time finding a drink with fewer calories than the Skinny Bitch. And even a glass of wine already has about 37kcal/1.5oz.
To make a perfect Vodka soda, fill up a highball glass with ice, add 1.5oz Vodka, 3oz soda water, 0.75oz lime juice, and one or two lime wheels for garnish. Cheers!
2. Mojito
kcal/1.5oz: 40
avg. serving size: 7.5oz
kcal/serving: 200
Another classic and a crowd-favorite is the Mojito cocktail. And despite its sweet components, it still is relatively moderate in calories. Also, mint has many health benefits, such as being anti-inflammatory.
For a low-calorie Mojito, you need 2oz White Rum, 1oz lime juice, 0.5oz cane sugar, 15-20 Mojito mint leaves, 4oz Chilled club soda, and one sprig of mint for garnish.
Add ten mint leaves, lime juice, and cane sugar into your shaker and muddle them. Once the sugar is dissolved, add the Rum and ice. Then shake the cocktail for 15 seconds.
Now, fill a glass with crushed ice, add the remaining mint leaves and strain your cocktail into the glass. Fill up with chilled club soda and enjoy.
3. Skinny Blueberry Spitzer
kcal/1.5oz: 34
avg. serving size: 6.75oz
kcal/serving: 155
The Skinny Blueberry is an elegant and refreshing summer low calorie cocktail. It is super easy to make, sparkly, sweet, fruity, and still low in calories.
Fill up a long drink glass with ice cubes, add 2.5oz unsweetened blueberry juice, 0.75oz lime juice, and 0.5oz simple syrup. Stir briefly and fill the glass up with 3oz champagne. Add fresh blueberries for garnish.
4. Bloody Mary
kcal/1.5oz: 43
avg. serving size: 5oz
kcal/serving: 142
The Bloody Mary probably is one of the more polarizing cocktails out there. Either you hate it, or you love it.
And either way, the spicy, tomato-based cocktail is a model for cocktails with good nutrition. It's low in calories and high in electrolytes and vitamins.
The list of ingredients for an authentic Bloody Mary is quite long, though:
- 1.5oz Vodka
- 2.5oz tomato juice
- 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice
- 0.25oz simple syrup
- 8 drops tabasco sauce
- four dashes of Worcestershire sauce
- one pinch of freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tsp horseradish
- one celery stalk for garnish
First, muddle pepper in your shaker. Then add Vodka, tomato juice, syrup, lemon juice, tabasco sauce, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, and ice.
Gently shake for a few seconds, then strain the content into your glass and garnish with the celery stalk.
5. Gin and Tonic
kcal/1.5oz: 41
avg. serving size: 6oz
kcal/serving: 164
A Gin and Tonic is a safe bet, as you can find it on as good as every bar menu in the world. And the Highball is also super easy to make at home.
Put ice cubes in your glass, and add 1.5oz of your favorite Gin. Top it up with 4.5 oz Tonic water, and add a lime wheel for garnish.
6. Vodka Martini
kcal/1.5oz: 92
avg. serving size: 3oz
kcal/serving: 184
You can never go wrong with a Martini. -Even when you want to pull back on calories a bit. And this famous, elegant drink is just as easy to make because it only consists of two ingredients.
All you need is 2.5oz of Vodka and 0.5oz of Dry Vermouth, and the obligatory olive on a pick for garnish. Add Vodka, Vermouth, and ice into a mixing glass and stir until the drink is well-chilled.
Then strain into a chilled Martini glass and garnish with the skewered olive.
7. Sazerac
kcal/1.5oz: 120
avg. serving size: 2.5oz
kcal/serving: 200
The Sazerac is a boozy and unusual cocktail. It combines different types of Whiskey with Absinthe. And the way of preparing the cocktail is unique, too.
You need 0.5oz Absinthe, 0.75oz Cognac, 0.75oz Straight Rye Whiskey, 0.5oz Bourbon Whiskey, 0.5oz Simple syrup, three dashes Peychaud's bitter, and one lemon peel used for garnish.
Rinse your cocktail glass with the Absinthe, fill it with ice, and put it aside. Then add all other ingredients plus ice into a mixing glass and stir until the content is chilled.
Get your prepared glass and remove the ice. Strain the cocktail into your glass and garnish it with a lemon peel.
Final Note
If you compare these low calorie cocktails to non-alcoholic beverages, they will still be higher in calories - some even a lot higher. -
However, to put things into perspective: A classic Piña Colada has more than 500 calories, a Mai Tai has between 300 and 400 calories, and even a Whiskey Sour adds up to approx. 300kcal/serving.